Yes, it’s OK, we get it. Progressives are simply incandescent with rage over the manner in which some boor beat the most qualified presidential candidate ever. And the mere thought that they have to share a country with so many who vote for him unhinges. Then there are the people who have gone completely over the edge.
Apparently the idea that there might have been a licensing deal for a Trump Tower Moscow is enough to impeach the guy who really did win the election.
Trump’s Lies About Moscow Tower are Impeachable
Quite what is impeachable isn’t really defined other than that the House can impeach for pretty much anything it wants to try to impeach for. And what is being said is impeachable here is really, well, actually, it’s trivia:
I’m not sure when Donald Trump and the people close to him started to believe themselves that they actually had a shot at winning the nomination, but the thought must have begun to occur to them as fall turned to winter in 2015. Actually winning was probably not part of the original plan. However, getting a Trump Tower built in Moscow definitely was.
Trump actually ran for election in order to get a Trump Tower built, not to become President at all. Anyone thing there’s a slice short of a full cake here?
The licensing agreement came together relatively quickly. Sater turned to a wealthy Moscow developer he knew from the days when Ivanka spun around in Putin’s chair: Andrey Rozov. His company, IC Expert, became the developer, and the sides traded proposals. At one point, as the letter of intent was passed back and forth during the negotiations, the Trump Organization changed an upfront fee from $100,000 to $900,000. On Oct. 28, 2015, the day of the third Republican presidential debate, Trump personally signed the letter of intent.
So, a letter of intent was signed. LoIs are pretty common in this sort of business world. Simply because there are many more signed than deals that ever come to any form of fruition.
But do look at that again. Trump ran for President in order to sign a deal with a $900,000 up front fee? You what? He was self-funding at this point, wasn’t he? How the hell was that ever going to be profitable?
This is very significant. On October 28, 2015, Donald J. Trump Sr. signed on the dotted line a letter of intent to build a tower in Moscow.
No, he didn’t, and that’s an interesting twist to the tale, isn’t it? Suddenly we’ve gone from a license deal, where Trump’s name means Trump gets paid, to Trump actually going off and building a building in Moscow. Really? These are being called the same thing? We’re some meat short of a full sandwich here, aren’t we?
At that point, I think a lot of people began to seriously question whether Trump had some financial ties or interests in Russia that explained his behavior.
Sure, we can argue about how rich Trump is or isn’t but that he’d do all this for a million bucks? Seriously?
He obviously didn’t know that that same month Trump signed a letter of intent to build a Moscow project.
No, he didn’t commit to building anything. He graciously – for a fee – allowed someone else to build something and stick his name on it. These are not the same thing. When Kanye endorses – or doesn’t – a bitcoin clone we don’t think he’s been coding the algos now, do we?
For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia.
Is a licensing deal an investment? I’d say not but then I’m a right winger so obviously would. But it is obviously and clearly different from building a building, isn’t it?
I don’t know about you, but for me the degree to which Trump concealed and lied about this information is impeachable on its own before we even get to possible coordination in the general election.
Seriously? We’re a Scotch Egg short of a full picnic here, aren’t we?
Yes, I know, they’re enraged, driven mad, by the fact that he won. But they really are being driven mad, entirely over the top. A licensing deal that didn’t proceed is grounds for impeachment?
Sheesh.
Isn’t impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors in office? He wasn’t in office and he broke no law. Except that one that says you have to live up to the double standards set by your opponents.
“High crimes and misdemeanors” is the exact Constitutional phrase: Offenses rising above the harm done to a victim but affecting the integrity of Constitutional government. Each of Trump’s Executive Orders has been careful to cite his authority under law. Compare Obama, “Stroke of a pen, law of the land! Pretty cool!” creating employment certificates for border-jumpers, immunity from law enforcement, disbursements from the Treasury, and treaty-like things on the basis that he could not convince Congress. Then using the IRS — and last week, we find, the FBI and the anti-terrorism court — against his political enemies.
This myth, which those readers want to continue bathing in, continues that Trump wasn’t even serious about winning during the last week of the campaign — despite his midnight election-eve trip to New Hampshire, which was on the edge, and his Election Day flights to Michigan and Wisconsin, which the exhausted Hillary lost because she took them for granted. Trump is clueless! No, Trump is Machiavellian! Trump just told a lie! Impeach 45! Pussy Hats on! Everything must be compared to Hillary’s three decades of public service, with nothing on the level.
Let ’em rage. Let ’em go off the deep end. Trump was elected, at least in part, to piss all over the establishment, and having played a bit in the real estate development game I can empathize with the desire to stick it to politicians. At some point they may start to reflect on why it was that so many people, many of whom they had the conceit to argue should be their natural constituents, were angry enough to sic Trump on them. Till then, a lot of them deserve to get hosed. It’s also looking that retaking the House… Read more »
Isn’t impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors in office? He wasn’t in office and he broke no law. Except that one that says you have to live up to the double standards set by your opponents.
“High crimes and misdemeanors” is the exact Constitutional phrase: Offenses rising above the harm done to a victim but affecting the integrity of Constitutional government. Each of Trump’s Executive Orders has been careful to cite his authority under law. Compare Obama, “Stroke of a pen, law of the land! Pretty cool!” creating employment certificates for border-jumpers, immunity from law enforcement, disbursements from the Treasury, and treaty-like things on the basis that he could not convince Congress. Then using the IRS — and last week, we find, the FBI and the anti-terrorism court — against his political enemies.
This myth, which those readers want to continue bathing in, continues that Trump wasn’t even serious about winning during the last week of the campaign — despite his midnight election-eve trip to New Hampshire, which was on the edge, and his Election Day flights to Michigan and Wisconsin, which the exhausted Hillary lost because she took them for granted. Trump is clueless! No, Trump is Machiavellian! Trump just told a lie! Impeach 45! Pussy Hats on! Everything must be compared to Hillary’s three decades of public service, with nothing on the level.
Let ’em rage. Let ’em go off the deep end. Trump was elected, at least in part, to piss all over the establishment, and having played a bit in the real estate development game I can empathize with the desire to stick it to politicians. At some point they may start to reflect on why it was that so many people, many of whom they had the conceit to argue should be their natural constituents, were angry enough to sic Trump on them. Till then, a lot of them deserve to get hosed. It’s also looking that retaking the House… Read more »